Samantha Custer Email & Phone Number

College Park, Md, Us

Williamsburg, Virginia

Founded and scaled a top-tier applied research unit with 10-12 multi-disciplinary staff as a go-to place for rigorous, policy-relevant analysis on foreign influence and development effectiveness Mobilized over $20 million in externally sponsored research funding and mentored six principal investigators (PIs) and Co-PIs to sustainably grow the unit’s operations and reach over a decadeProduced 60+ publicly available research publications featuring novel data on a range of issues—from development cooperation to the influence playbooks of China, Russia, and the U.S.—with leading think tanks, international organizations, and government agenciesIncubated methodologies to produce novel data to inform custom diagnostics, monitoring indicators, country/donor profiles, dashboards, and decision-support tools for global and in-country audiences on topics such as economic statecraft, public diplomacy, media resilience, civic space, and energy security Designed and fielded 10+ large-scale online surveys, developing and maintaining an in-house sampling frame of 100,000 public, private, and civil society leaders in 147 low- and middle-income countries to capture feedback from leaders on their priorities and external influence on their domestic policies

Williamsburg, Virginia

Spearheaded the creation of a new line of applied research at AidData focused on using a diverse set of qualitative and quantitative tools to answer real-world questions, securing partners, resources, and staff Co-authored and oversaw production of two flagship reports featuring analysis from AidData’s Listening to Leaders survey of policymakers in low- and middle-income countriesConvened events, conducted briefings, and used targeted networking to increase AidData’s reach and influence with government and multilateral agencies, private philanthropies, and advocacy organizationsLeveraged strategic communications acumen to grow AidData’s visibility with key target audiences, increasing elite media coverage by 500% and blog readership and social media following by over 60%

Williamsburg, Virginia, United States

Designed and delivered four hybrid online and in-person courses/seminars for mid-career US military and interagency civilian professionals on navigating great power competition, understanding the influence playbooks of China and Russia, examining the instruments and influence of information campaigns, etc. Collaborated with other instructional faculty and the US Army to co-create original lectures, assignments, simulations, and curricula for participants with varying degrees of familiarity with the subject matter.

Williamsburg, Virginia, United States

Collaborated with former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates to architect two closed-door policy forums on U.S. strategic communications and development assistance, convening 40+ senior Congressional, executive branch, and private sector leaders to deliberate policy options for necessary reformsSpearheaded the design and execution of two edited research volumes with contributions from AidData authors and external contributors to surface the best available evidence to inform debate and dialogue

Washington, Dc

Facilitated weekly discussions on governance and national security issues with a cohort of 22 undergraduate students, attaining fluency with the politics of aid as a tool of US foreign policyCreated assignments, lectures, and a crisis simulation to challenge students to apply learning in real-world policy scenarios and understand how the US relates with bilateral, multilateral, and non-state actors

Washington D.C. Metro Area

Co-authored 7 publications on issues related to: the political economy of open data, transparency and accountability, technology for inclusive development, and citizen feedback on donor-funded aid projectsInterviewed 60 World Bank experts, capturing lessons learned from beneficiary feedback processes in World Bank-funded projects through eight written case studies and a technical guide for operations staff

Bangkok, Thailand

Founded a new division for SIL in Asia, providing consulting support for partners in 13 countries and direct operational oversight for 2 country offices with 70 staffLed a team of specialists conducting targeted advocacy with Asian government ministries, creating momentum to pass new legislation for more inclusive education policiesCoordinated the Bangkok Multilingual Education Working Group for UNESCO Bangkok, achieving consensus on priority areas of policy engagement for a coalition of 20 international agencies

Jakarta, Indonesia

Managed operations of a 50-person country headquarters, initiating multilingual education projects in 3 provinces and brokering agreements with the Indonesian government and non-governmental institutionsCatalyzed new program operations for SIL in West Indonesia, attracting new seed funding from existing networks and designing community-led rural development projects with minority communities

Jakarta, Indonesia

Facilitated strategic planning guiding SIL’s enlargement of NGO and multilateral partnerships, fundraising, and government relations Prepared the organization’s annual report, writing content, consulting on design and marketing

Washington, Dc And Dallas, Tx.

Directed development of advocacy campaigns and corporate communications, building political and public support for multilingual education policies and programs Solved complex problems as part of a high-level task force reporting to the SIL board, catalyzing organizational change processes to reduce funding vulnerabilities and strengthen core competencies

Westport, Ct.

Ensured organizational accountability to a base of 25,000+ donors and sponsored children for 6 field offices through performance management audits, developing action plans and monitoring progressCollaborated with executive management to formulate a quality improvement strategy, coordinating with Interaction’s standards accreditation body and leading a cross-functional implementation team

Master Of Science In Foreign Service (Msfs), International Development, 3.82/4.0, Distinction

Activities and Societies: Georgetown Women in International Affairs

Master Of Public Policy (Mpp), International Policy And Development, 3.82/4.0

Activities and Societies: Master's Thesis: "Does Openness Enhance Public Trust: A Cross-Country Assessment of the Relationship Between.

Graduate Certificate, Survey Research, 4.0/4.0

Certificate, Indonesian Language (Bahasa Indonesia Untuk Penutur Asing)

Bachelor Of Science, International Business

Activities and Societies: President - Alpha Mu Gamma Foreign Language Honorary, President - Crown and Scepter Sophomore Women's Honorary.